Chapter 168: Feather Immortal Peak

Several birds appeared in the sky.

Yufei and Baizhi raised their heads to look up, bewildered and uncertain of what was happening.

Yu Ye, however, was startled.

He recognized the birds in the upper air—a species of fierce raptor resembling hunting falcons, remarkable not only for their massive size but also for their extreme tenacity. That alone might have been manageable, but the real issue was that they appeared one after another: first one, then two, then three...

"Run!"

Urged by Yu Ye, the three of them turned and fled without hesitation.

What had appeared in the sky was not just a few large birds, but an entire flock numbering at least several dozen—far too many to handle.

Almost instantly, a sudden rush of wind tore through the air.

Perhaps they were running too fast, for their movement alarmed the fierce birds. A dark shadow plunged downward from the sky, hurtling toward them with lightning speed and savage ferocity.

Driven to desperation, Yu Ye raised a hand and pointed.

With a flash of brilliant light, a sword beam shot forth into the air.

*Bang—*

A spray of blood and feathers burst into the sky as one of the giant birds tumbled downward and crashed to the ground.

Just as Yu Ye intended to leverage the moment to make a frantic dash, he could not help but glance back.

Yufei and Baizhi had already realized the danger and were running after him. Before they had taken more than a few steps, several dark shadows loomed overhead. The two hurriedly conjured their flying swords for defense, but no sooner had they slain two large birds than their fierce companions slammed into them one after another, sending them flying backward amid a flurry of violent impacts.

Simultaneously, the entire flock of giant birds in the sky swooped down in a coordinated dive.

Cursing inwardly at his ill fortune, Yu Ye had no choice but to halt his steps. Yet even with that brief pause, four or five dark shadows came screaming toward him. With only a single flying sword, how could he possibly fend off such a multitude of raptors? He raised his hand, slapped away a talisman, and vanished in a blur.

Deprived of their prey, the giant birds wheeled around and swooped toward Yufei and Baizhi.

Rellying on their protective spiritual barriers, Yufei and Baizhi suffered no serious harm initially. Yet the moment they struggled to their feet, they found themselves completely surrounded by the flock of raptors, subjected to wave after wave of violent collisions and tearing bites. Unable to escape, the two could only drive their flying swords in counterattack. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, they were knocked airborne again and again. Yufei, showing some quick thinking, deployed a Blazing Fire Talisman; yet contrary to expectations, the more ferocious the flames became, the madder the giant birds grew. Just as the two were at their wit's end, desperately fending off the onslaught, a streak of sword light plunged into the midst of the flock. Instantly, blood rained down like a storm, feathers scattered in all directions, and shrill, piercing shrieks echoed continuously...

A moment later, a heap of bird carcasses littered the valley floor.

Yufei and Baizhi stood rooted in stunned silence.

Out from a spot a dozen yards away emerged a figure—it was Yu Ye. With a casual wave of his hand, the still-hovering flying sword vanished into thin air.

Gazing at the piles of dead raptors covering the ground, Yufei asked in disbelief, "Junior Brother Yu's flying sword... is so formidable..."

Baizhi, however, stared straight at Yu Ye, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Have you been concealing your cultivation realm?"

"No."

"With your Qi Refining stage four cultivation, how could you possibly manipulate a flying sword?"

"Just experimenting."

"And you—"

"This place is no place for lingering!"

Yu Ye had no time to spare for explanations.

Baizhi bit her lip, her gaze flickering.

She had thought Yu Ye kept nothing hidden from her, especially after spending the entire night guarding each other and having her help him bandage his wounds that morning. She believed they had returned to the trust and tacit understanding they shared back at Spirit Flood Valley. Only now did she realize how mistaken she was; ever since they parted ways at Spirit Flood Valley, he had already walked far ahead of her.

"Junior Brother Yu, it would be a pity to discard these raptors. We might as well turn them over to the immortal sect; it should count as a contribution!"

Prompted by Yufei's suggestion, the three of them began collecting the carcasses of the giant birds.

Yu Ye had no desire to seek merits or rewards. Instead, he tossed several of the large bird carcasses into his Beast-Taming Ring. To his surprise, the two spirit salamanders showed absolutely no reaction to the prey delivered right to their mouths.

At that very moment, Yufei let out a cry of alarm.

"Ah..."

Hearing the sound, Yu Ye and Baizhi turned their heads to look.

They saw figures of fierce beasts suddenly emerging from the surrounding jungles, cliffs, and mountain streams of the valley. Ranging in size from large to small, there were ferocious tigers, jackals, wolves, and even bizarre monsters they had never seen before. Howling and roaring wildly, they charged straight toward the three people in the valley.

Baizhi's expression shifted slightly as sudden realization dawned on her. "Ferocious beasts are drawn to blood... The entire nest has emptied out..."

"Senior Brother, run!"

Yufei screamed in terror.

There was no need for further urging; all three instinctively leaped into the air and fled back along the path they had come.

Yet before they could even pass through the valley entrance they had used earlier, a pack of tiger-like monsters appeared ahead, each over a zhang in size, baring their fangs with a murderous aura.

Not daring to delay, Yufei cleared the path with a Blazing Fire Talisman.

The monsters retreated slightly before launching a frenzied counter-attack.

Yufei conjured his flying sword, intending to force his way through. However, even more beasts swarmed in from all directions, startling him into a panicked cry for help—

"Senior Sister Baizhi, Junior Brother Yu..."

Baizhi was struck dumb with panic, completely at a loss.

Yu Ye glanced back and forth, his thoughts spinning rapidly.

The sudden surge of fierce beasts numbered at least several hundred. Even with his versatile divine abilities, he could not possibly handle them all at once.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, the tide of beasts surged forward. An inevitable battle, one that should never have happened yet could no longer be avoided, was now inescapable.

Yufei and Baizhi retreated to his side, both trembling with panic.

Suddenly struck by an inspiration, Yu Ye waved his hand.

With a shrill, piercing shriek, two colossal monsters abruptly materialized.

Yufei and Baizhi were so frightened their complexions turned pale.

Yet they watched as the two ugly monsters lunged into the beast pack, carving a path of utter devastation. Smaller beasts were bitten in half with a single snap, while larger ones were knocked flying straight into the air by leaps spanning several zhang.

"Those are..."

Only then did Yufei and Baizhi understand the origin of the monsters, and they could not help but stare simultaneously at Yu Ye.

Yu Ye let out a breath of relief. "A pair of good-for-nothings, but they still have some slight use!"

Such vicious exotic beasts, and he called them good-for-nothings?

They were far more than just "somewhat useful." Indeed, their usefulness was immense. Driven by the rampage of these two "good-for-nothings," the hundreds of fierce beasts dared not even approach. Amidst the howling gales and flying gravel and stones, a clear path parted directly through the surging horde of beasts.

Seizing the opportunity, the three of them dashed forward.

A moment later, they broke out of the valley.

Yet the pack of beasts actually pursued them relentlessly.

Simultaneously, several more raptors appeared in the sky.

"Junior Brother Yu..."

Yufei called out anxiously.

Still looking back over his shoulder, Yu Ye found that his two spirit salamanders were too engrossed in the chaotic melee with the beast horde. Seized by a sudden killing intent, they paid no heed to his summons whatsoever.

"Yu Ye..."

Baizhi could not help shouting as well.

With no other choice, Yu Ye flashed backward into the fray, recalled the two spirit salamanders, and then turned and ran back again. Behind them, the horde of fierce beasts pursued relentlessly without stopping, while raptors dove from the sky above.

Spotting a patch of woods ahead, Yufei waved his hand frantically to signal the direction.

"Wind-Escaping Talisman—"

Channeling the Wind-Escaping Talisman, the three of them broke into a wild sprint through the dense forest...

Before they knew it, the sky grew dim.

One by one, the three of them came to a halt.

Whether it was the raptors or the fierce beasts, all had completely vanished.

They had finally managed to escape the peril.

Yet, where on earth were they now?

Standing atop a mountain cliff, all three wore expressions of profound bewilderment.

"We're lost!"

"Keep calm and don't panic!"

"Well, there's no rush either. We can rest for the night and figure it out when dawn breaks!"

They were lost. Neither Yufei nor Baizhi could figure out the direction, and Yu Ye was even more clueless. After consulting with one another, they decided to camp for the night and continue searching for Feather Immortal Peak the following morning.

They knew that their imparting master, Xin Jian, was waiting at Feather Immortal Peak to rendezvous with them; once they linked up with him, they could return by the original route.

Night descended.

The three sat atop the cliff to rest.

Yufei produced some dry rations to share with Baizhi, while Yu Ye pulled out a jar of wine to drink alone. Men of the pugilistic world favored wine to drown their sorrows or add to the cheer. Yet after finishing the entire jar of wine, he felt only a profound solitude. The scourge of ferocious beasts was not a true threat; the real hazard lay in the unpredictable nature of the human heart. Meanwhile, Baizhi quietly gazed at him. Not only had he grown taller and matured, but he also resembled a man more—a man both melancholic and deeply reticent...

At daybreak, they resumed the search for their path.

Yu Ye was utterly directionless, leaving him entirely dependent on the decisions of Yufei and Baizhi.

The three of them searched as they walked through the desolate mountains and wild ridges.

Yu Ye did not forget to check on the activity within the Beast-Taming Ring.

At a critical moment, the two spirit salamanders had actually proven somewhat useful, yet their habits had drastically changed, leaving them completely indifferent to meat. Consequently, he tossed in a couple of spirit stones, and sure enough, a burst of joyful commotion immediately echoed from inside the ring.

Very well. Meat-eating monsters had switched to a diet of spirit stones.

Should this be considered going from frugal to extravagant?

It was far too extravagant!

Beyond that, the fleshy humps on the backs of the two monsters had become far more prominent, looking almost like a pair of wings...

Four days later.

Three figures emerged from a mountain forest, every one of them bearing faces etched with utter exhaustion.

Having continuously traversed desolate mountain ranges, wild ridges, and ancient forests—repeatedly suffering intrusions from miasmas and ferocious beasts—what had been consumed was not only their physical stamina but also their patience. If they failed to find their way back, they might well miss the final deadline to leave the Kongtong Realm.

"Senior Sister—"

Beyond the mountain forest lay a desolate plain. Standing in lonely isolation amidst the wilderness was a single mountain peak. Though barely a hundred zhang tall, it stood out with striking prominence against the barren landscape.

"Feather Immortal Peak!"

Baizhi's eyes lit up brightly.

"If my memory serves me right, that is indeed Feather Immortal Peak!"

Yufei was quite excited, gesturing forward. "Tomorrow is the final deadline, but fortunately we are not too late. Junior Brother Yu..."

"Indeed! Fortunately, the two of you knew the way!"

Yu Ye also let out a sigh of relief.

He had originally intended to spend only a few days in the Kongtong Realm before leaving, but unexpected incidents occurred one after another, and nineteen days had slipped by in the blink of an eye. As long as they found Feather Immortal Peak, they could leave the Kongtong Realm.

With a wave of his hand, Yufei took the lead and pressed forward.

Yu Ye and Baizhi followed closely behind.

"It is said that a millennium ago, someone attained the Dao and became an immortal right here, which is why it was named Feather Immortal Peak. Senior Sister Baizhi, Junior Brother Yu, why don't we try to catch some of this immortal aura, haha!"

As a true scion of a noble family, Yufei possessed a kind and honest nature. Now that the return journey was in sight, his entire demeanor had relaxed.

"If I am chosen to enter the Divine Enlightenment Hall this time, I plan to return home to report the good news. Senior Sister Baizhi, would you be willing to accompany me for a trip?"

"Alright!"

"Haha, my Yu family will surely treat Senior Sister well!"

"I am willing too..."

"Ah, this... let's discuss it another day..."

Amidst their journey, the three exchanged idle banter.

Yu Ye casually interjected, leaving Yufei awkward and embarrassed. Baizhi glanced back, her gaze carrying a subtle hint of reproach. Finding it rather amusing, Yu Ye broke into a faint, grinning smile.

A moment later, Feather Immortal Peak came into view.

Standing a hundred zhang tall and spanning several miles, the peak was nonetheless sparse in vegetation and rugged with jagged rocks, bearing none of the grandeur expected of a place where one ascends to immortality.

Yet on the slope along one side of the mountain, they indeed found a stone tablet inscribed with four ancient characters: *Peak of the Feather Immortal*.

Only, their imparting master, Xin Jian, was nowhere to be seen waiting here, nor were there any traces of other immortal sect disciples.

The location was correct, and the date was not mistaken. There was still one day left before the twenty-day deadline.

Why was there not a single soul to be seen in this place?

Yufei, Baizhi, and Yu Ye exchanged looks of shared confusion, then circled around the foot of the mountain to search and inspect. When they reached the opposite side of the peak, all three widened their eyes in shock.

Lying scattered across the slope on the far side were over a dozen corpses, every one of them disciples of the Yunchuan Immortal Sect. Either their abdomens had been blown open or their heads were severed from their bodies—a scene of utterly grisly death...